Resources - One Chopping Board

Resources page contains recommendations about the products and services that I use. This will be updated every time I find new services that are worth sharing.

Hosting

Bluehost – Bluehost is my hosting company since I started One Chopping Board. They are really affordable and you get big discounts if you sign up with their “24 or 36 Month Account Plan.” You get the regular price when you sign up for the “12 Month Account Plan”. Bluehost is also recommended by WordPress.org. What I also like about them is they have a 1-click-install.

Blog Design or Themes

StudioPress – I got my first WordPress theme from StudioPress when I was just starting in 2013. They always deliver premium WordPress themes. I also purchased my second theme from StudioPress, which One Chopping Board is currently using. They have so many themes to choose from and I doubt you won’t be able to pick one.

Foodie Theme from StudioPress – This is the theme One Chopping Board is currently using. This is a child theme, meaning you need to have a parent theme for this to be fully functional. I have purchased a Parent theme which is the Genesis Framework.

Genesis Framework from StudioPress – This is my parent theme and currently works with my Foodie child theme. There are so many benefits to using the genesis framework, Click here to download The Genesis Guide for Absolute Beginners (PDF – 1.4 MB).

Food Photography

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 software makes everything about digital photography easier and faster. Perfect your shots with powerfully simple adjustments and a full range of advanced controls. Easily find and organize all your photos. Quickly share your favorites on social networks, or showcase them in elegant photo books and web galleries

Nikon D3100 is an entry level DSLR camera which I am currently using. Compared to other DSLR, this is not too expensive. If you want to start a food blog invest in a quality camera. The D3100 features Nikon’s Guide Mode with intuitive controls and on-board assistance helping you take better pictures every step of the way. Capture beautiful pictures and amazing Full HD 1080p movies with sound and full-time autofocus. One-touch Live View and movie recording lets you see the action on the 3-inch monitor and the Scene Recognition System automatically chooses the ideal settings. Features full-time autofocus and sound; record cinematic-quality movies in Full 1080p HD format (1920 x 1080 pixels).

Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5 Lens is the lens that I am using with my Nikon D3100. Designed exclusively for Nikon DX-format SLR cameras, this 18-55mm lens approximates the picture angle performance of a 27-82.5mm lens in the 35mm format, ensuring superb versatility in a wide variety of shooting situations. What is great about this is, All Nikon lenses carry a five-year warranty.

Learn Food Photography – Online Class on CreativeLive

CreativeLive is an online learning platform that broadcasts FREE live classes. If you can’t watch a live broadcast, you can definitely pay that class and watch it anytime.

Story on a Plate: Food Photography & Styling with TODD PORTER AND DIANE CU – The first class I bought from CreativeLive. It was really informative. This course offers the beginner photographer the fundamentals of natural light food photography and food styling.

There are other Food Photography classes on CreativeLive but I haven’t purchased them yet. Below are the links:

Helpful e-Books For Food Bloggers

Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More (Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Blogs,) – It is very helpful, especially when you are just starting as a food blogger. The book gives a lot of tips and advices from well known food bloggers.

Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography and Styling – It is my first food photography e-Book. I bought this before I started my food blog. Helene Dujardin is a successful food blogger who has become a well-known resource for fellow bloggers who are struggling with capturing appetizing images of their creations. The eBook takes you through the art and techniques of appetizing food photography for everyone from foodies to food bloggers to small business owners looking to photograph their food themselves.
Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots – photographer Nicole Young dishes up the basics on getting the right camera equipment–lights, lenses, reflectors, etc.–and takes you through the key photographic principles of aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. She then discusses lighting and composition and shows how to style food using props, fabrics, and tabletops. Finally, she explains how to improve your photos through sharpening, color enhancement, and other editing techniques. Beautifully illustrated with large, vibrant photos, this book offers the practical advice and expert shooting tips you need to get the food images you want every time you pick up your camera.

Driving Traffic to Your Food Blog

Food submission sites can help you boost your site traffic. There are so many out there you can try but I only submit to three. Most of my traffic comes from food submission websites and Pinterest. When submitting photos to these sites, make sure you have quality pictures or else it’s going to be declined. Taking amazing photos takes time and practice. It is very helpful to read books and to practice taking pictures every day.

Photo Editing

Creative Cloud (Photography) – includes Photoshop CC and Lightroom. Both are as essential to your photography as your camera and lens, giving you the tools to organize, edit, enhance, and share images on your desktop or mobile device — anytime, anywhere.

Canva – is an online service that create designs for Web or print: blog graphics, presentations, Facebook covers, flyers, posters, invitations and so much more. It’s easy and free.

Leave A Comment Cancel reply